DJ White back with Charlotte Bobcats on a 10-day contract

The bottom line on DJ White: He’s not new to the Charlotte Bobcats or to 10-day contracts.

The Bobcats filled the open spot on their roster Friday, signing 6-foot-9 forward White to a 10-day deal. This is White’s second stint with the Bobcats, having played here 82 games during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.

Ideally, the Bobcats would have signed a player with true NBA-center size, but 7-footers with NBA skills don’t hang out on the street corner this time of year. Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said the team worked out numerous players, and White was clearly the best available alternative.

“He’s been in this league and he picks things up quickly,” Clifford said of White, who started out with the Oklahoma City Thunder, was traded to the Bobcats, and then played 25 games last season with the Boston Celtics.

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White (he spells DJ with no periods, by the way) said that stint with the Celtics prepares him for coming to the Bobcats this late in a season chasing a playoff spot.

“I did it in Boston – just be yourself,” White said of playing on a 10-day contract. “I’ve been in this position, last year (fitting in) on a playoff team.”

White was playing in China for the Sichuan Blue Whales, averaging 20.2 points and 8.5 rebounds and 67 percent shooting from the field. When his China League season ended, White was free to sign with an NBA team.

“China was OK,” White said after his first practice back in Charlotte. “The culture was a little different and the basketball was not the same level, but I got the opportunity to play (31 minutes per game) and get better.”

White doesn’t figure to have a big role here, much as his 10-day predecessor, Justin Hamilton, did little more than practice and play a few mop-up minutes. But he’ll fit in – he’s already friends with many of the players – and at least make it easier for center Al Jefferson to get the occasional break from practice as the playoffs approach.

“It’s very exciting,” White said. “Me and Al have competed for years. I know Bismack (Biyombo) and Gerald (Henderson) well.